Time Will Tell
by Cheetah Goddess
Summary: After Gannondorf is defeated, Link is left to deal with the agony of a world that doesn't remember what he has done for them. PostOoT ZeLink.
1. The Beginning of the End

-1_Ye ol disclamier-I, Cheetah Goddess, do NOT own any of the characters, settings, or most of the situations depicted below. So…GET OFF MY BACK!_

"_Link…The Master Sword is speaking…It's giving you its greatest power…To deliver the final blow to the Evil King…"_

Link panted heavily, clutching the Master Sword in both hands. He looked at the horrid beast in front of him that was once the Gerudo King, the monster that had caused Hyrule so much pain, turning the utopia of peace into a endless hell, spreading darkness throughout the land, destroying so many innocent lives…Despite this, Link hesitated for a moment, a sickening realization flashing through his mind: _"I'm going to take a life_._"_ It was foolhardy of him to think of that at such a moment, and he knew it. He had slain many monsters before he had even come to this moment. He even had to kill an old friend because of the monster in front of him. Yet, he still had a split second of doubt. Who was he to decide who lives and who dies?

The beast struggled to break from Zelda's spell, eyes brimming with hate. Ganon looked up at Link, not as a criminal begging for forgiveness, but with eyes of a murderer. Eyes that were filled with sadistic glee of what he had done, taunting Link, daring him to kill him. Link saw his friend's eyes fill with tears as he was released from his prison of darkness. He saw villages burning, children crying over the bodies of their fallen parents. He saw the closest thing he had to a parent wither away. And it was all because of this man, this creature. Link screamed with determined ferocity, slamming the Master Sword with terrible force into Ganon's warped face.

And, it was over.

To Link, the moment had lasted an eternity. The sound of shattering bone as the sword shattered Ganon's skull echoed through his mind, the force of the blow jarring his arms. In reality it had lasted less than a second. He stood there looking upon what he had done through eyes glazed with hate, mind detached from the world. Then the reality of the situation hit. He blinked furiously, hastily pulling the Master Sword out of Ganon's skull with a squelch as blood and tissue gushed from the wound.

Surreally, Link looked away from the mess in front of him and to the form of Princess Zelda. Her arms were raised in the air, a look of extreme focus was pasted on her face. "Six Sages now! Now open the sealed door!" Link's mind buzzed; he a strange sense of falling, and then he was in the Sacred Realm. He looked at the people he had encountered and befriended on he journey to save Hyrule with pride: Saria, his dear childhood friend…Darunia, the Goron who had called him brother…Ruto, the hard- headed yet soft-hearted Zoran princess…Impa, the strong Sheikah woman…Nabooru, the lovable thief…and Rauru, the mysterious elder. Despite his exhaustion, the pride filling his heart gave him the energy to stand straight before his enemy as he was banished from the world of light. _"Ancient gods that created Hyrule…Seal the incarnation of evil within the dark world!"_ Brilliant rays of light hit the huddled mass in the center of the sages, clearing the chamber of all darkness. Bathed in its soft glow, Link watched the form of Ganondorf scream and writhe in pain with his jaw set in a firm line. Despite all of his reason, Link still felt a small twinge of pity for the man. Not everyone was complete free of sins. May haps Ganondorf had a reason behind his madness. But as Ganondorf looked up a Link with eyes burning with hate, Link quickly pushed aside that thought.

Ganondorf, panting and gasping for air, looked up at each and every sage from his invisible prison on the ground. "Curse you…Sages…" He turned to Zelda, the woman who had escaped his notice until it was too late, his glare intensifying. "Curse you…Zelda!" At last, his glare came to rest on Link, the hero who had defeated him. At first, the heat of his scorn was so great, Link thought he might explode from the pressure. But, to his surprise, the corners of Ganondorf's mouth lifted into that of a smirk, sending a chill down Link's spine. "Curse you…Link." With that, Ganondorf made one last attempt to break his binds, then screamed in pain, disappearing into the light.

When Link opened his eyes once again, he was standing in the ruins of Ganon's Tower, formally Hyrule Castle. He looked up at the sky, the dark colds dissipating to show stunning blue skies. He breathed in the clear air, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips. They had done it. Ganon was no more. Navi, his faithful companion till the bitter end, floated gently over Link's head, seeming to mimic Link's actions. "It's finally over, isn't it?" Link smiled, a weight lifting off his shoulders. He gazed at the beautiful Princess Zelda, his heart doing back flips in his chest. She was looking into the distance, a blissful smile gracing her exquisite lips. She turned to face him with smile reserved for him. "Thank you, Link. Ganondorf had been sealed into the dark world." She approached him slowly, the grace of her stature showing with every step. Even though she had spent much time disguised as a Sheikah boy, she had not lost a bit of her grace.

Link smiled back sheepishly, fiddling with the hilt of the Master Sword. "And now Hyrule can be rebuilt, right? I'll help." He was looking forward to helping out, especially if he could work by her side.

Zelda's smile turned melancholic. She looked away from him, out to the land below. "…An era of peace will now begin in Hyrule…And…" She closed her eyes. "…This is also the time when we must part ways."

It felt as if he had just been hit with a brick to the stomach. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but all he could manage is to intake air. Part ways? The thought was too much for Link. He never wanted to leave her side again. He had traveled to hell and back just to find her, and barely a moment after he had finally managed to do so, he was being sent away!

Zelda kept her eyes closed, her face a mask of remorse. "Before Ganondorf could snatch away the Triforce, I tried to take control of the Sacred Realm. But…That was foolish action." She covered her face with her hand. "As a result, he obtained the Triforce and you got dragged into this whole mess. Now that the conflict has passed…" She finally looked up, a look of duty upon her face. "…As the seventh sage …I must put the Master Sword to sleep and close the Door of Time. However…" Her face fell, a sad smile on her face. "That will also close off the path on which to traverse time…Link give me the ocarina." She turned to him for the first time. He opened his mouth, but promptly closed it, handing her the ocarina. He couldn't bare to see her look so distraught. She took it tentatively, hugging it to her chest. "Using the Ocarina of Time, I can send you back to your original time."

Link gasped, finding his voice. "My original time? Wa–Wait a second! I wasn't fighting because I was dragged into it! The reason I fought was…Zelda, it was for…" It was for her. The only reason he could keep going on was the thought of her. She looked at him sadly, regretfully.

"I will govern Hyrule, like my father before me. Link…This country will always be…peaceful…" She looked away from him. " Now…Go back. To the place you should be…The form you should have…"

Link fought with his mouth once again, failing miserably to voice his thoughts, to tell her what he really wanted to. To leave Zelda behind was unthinkable! He would rather never make up the seven years he lost than leave her behind…He would rather die. But…There was something about the way she spoke to him…The remorse for what she had done to his life was tormenting her. He didn't want to leave her side…but he didn't want to see her suffer. He reached out to touch her, then hesitated. Instead, he formed a fist, putting it across his heart. "…I am the Hero of Time. No matter when, not matter where, for Hyrule…and for Princess Zelda…I will fight." He kneeled down before her bowing his head low. "I will fight for you, Princess Zelda."

Zelda gasped softly, taken aback by his sudden gesture. She herself hesitated, then her resolve hardened. "Thank you Link…" She raised the ocarina to her lips, playing a hypnotic melody. Link had a felling of weightlessness, the same feeling that he had when he had first removed the Master Sword from it's pedestal. He looked at the fading image of Zelda dry-eyed .

_"Goodbye…"_

When Link finally opened his eyes again, he was back in the temple of time. He looked around, a felling of nostalgia filling him. He looked at himself, not seventeen anymore, but back to his small, chubby ten-year-old self. He had only spent a few months in his older body, but being back into his younger body still felt strange, foreign. _"I'm back,"_ He thought bitterly to himself. Then an idea hit him. "Maybe Zelda will…" He rushed out of the temple, completely unaware that he was running out alone.

Link pushed himself through the bustling streets of the castle market, heading straight to the looming castle ahead. He was like a man possessed; nothing could stand in his way. He ran right past the startled guards, barely giving them a chance to respond before he was out of their sight. His heart pounded in his chest, not from running, but in fear of what he might discover. He finally stumbled his way into Zelda's favorite place, the small courtyard in the heart of the castle. He stopped, frozen in fear. Zelda was there, standing in the exact same way she had stood on that faithful day that felt like so long ago. Time slowed down as she turned around to face him. She looked on blankly for a second, and Link's heart stopped. Then her face lightened, tears springing to the corner of her eyes. "Link…"

Link felt light, lighter than he ever had. He took a step toward her. "Zelda…You remember me?"

She smiled. "Of course! You're the boy who played with me earlier!"

In one fell swoop, Link's world shattered in front of him. He was petrified. His nightmares had come true.

_"She doesn't remember…"_

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OMG! Cheetah Goddess lives? You're joking!

No, it's not joke! I really do! And I'm older and wise…Well, older now! I just haven't written any fan fiction in a long while now…But now since I'm in a Zelda-y mood lately, I needed to do something! So, I give you my story. I'm probably at least going to do another chapter, if procrastination/writer's block related problems don't stop me first…But since a lot of this was straight out of the manga, I'll do that for ya guess…That is, if I get enough positive reinforcement. So, R&R!

Note—The friend Link talks about is from the manga. He had befriended Volvagia when he was a baby, and was forced to kill him when he was tainted with Ganondorf's power.


	2. A Whole New World

DISCLAIMER–Cheetah Goddess does NOT own any of the characters or settings below, but she DOES own the situations…Kinda. Yeah. And she does NOT have anyone locked up in her closet, only feed them rainbow cookies and adoring them like a shrine…of course not…yeah…Hey, you still reading this? GET OFF MY BACK!

_She doesn't remember anything…What we did…Anything" _He slumped to his knees staring at his hands, hand that seemed too small. Vaguely, he wondered why that was. He had spent much more time as child as he had in those few months as a teenager. A image over Zelda fading away into light filled his mind. "Goodbye" was the last thing she had said to him before he was back in the Temple of Time. "Goodbye". A statement of finality, of a conclusion, of the end. _I guess it's really over… _Staring at his hands, he clenched his small fists and began to sob, his world finally crashing down upon him. Everything was how it was supposed to be, how it had been. He felt relieved, yet he was overcome with terrible anguish. He was tired, he was frustrated, he was sick of it all.

The startled princess hovered over his weeping figure, uncertain of what to do for the boy. She reached out to comfort him, but a trio of guards came crashing into the courtyard, yanking Link upright and began hauling him off, with Link seemingly not even noticing their presence. Princess Zelda rushed up to the guards, begging for his freedom.

"But Princess," one guard began, "he's an intruder! He could hurt you!"

Princess Zelda frowned. "Does this boy look well enough to do harm to anyone at the moment? Besides, he saved my life earlier! You are indebted to this boy. Leave him at once!"

The guards stared at the young princess, speechless. Grudgingly, they lowered Link to the ground. Bowing respectfully, but a little flustered from being denounced, they left the courtyard slowly, warily eyeing the now silent Link.

The princess reached out to him again, then hesitated, withdrawing her hand. He looked pathetic, azure eyes blank and unseeing, tears still flowing down his cheeks in limitless rivers. She bit her lip, the sight of him bringing her to the brink of tears. Turning away, she walked up to the silently flowing pool of crystal blue water, kneeling next to it. She looked back at him, then back at the water. "You know…I have premonitory dreams…" The princess took quick glance to see if there was any response. He hadn't even blinked. She looked back at the water, determined. "I had a dream…That a boy from the forest would come…And save all of Hyrule one day." She risked another quick glance; if anything, his face had become hard, the tears ceasing to flow.

At a lost, Princess Zelda looked to the sky, the whole situation frustrating her to no end. She had to get this boy to smile…He had protected her from attack earlier, she had a duty to aid him in his time of need. But her mind was blank; it seemed like nothing was going to work. Suddenly, an idea struck her; she froze, a devious grin spreading across her face. She casually waltzed over to his side, trying to contain her mirth.

"You know…I haven't properly thanked you for defending me from those bandits earlier…" She waited for a reaction, and was pleasantly surprised when she got one. Link had blinked, the only movement he had made in minutes, his eyes becoming less like those of a corpse to those of someone who had yet to take the plunge. Encouraged by the progress, she leaned over and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Link."

Link blinked furiously, instantly breaking away from his stupor. "Oh, no! There's no reason to–You don't need to–I mean—!" He stammered, blushing furiously, waving his hands frantically in the air.

Princess Zelda giggled, dancing off to the other side of the courtyard. "See! You cheered up!" She looked back at the sky, rocking on her heals. "It makes me happy to see you happy, Link!"

Link's face was completely crimson now. He squirmed, even more flustered than before. "I-I'm glad that I can make you happy, Princess." He stared at the ground trying to blending in with the surroundings, much to Princess Zelda's delight.

Giggling, she pranced back to his side, getting inches from his face, much to his distress. He looked up at the sky, trying not to hyperventilate. "So, do you feel better now?" He could only nod, still not looking directly at her. She smiled. "Good!" She stood, walking much more calmly to the cool pool once again. Link exhaled deeply, seeing as he had been holding his breath throughout the whole conversation. He watched as she dangled her delicate fingertips into the crystalline water, smiling despite himself. Even if he was just a boy, and she never remembered their time together…He couldn't help but…

She abruptly spun around, catching Link off guard. "Oh!" The young princess dashed to the window at the edge of the courtyard, peering through. "Just as I thought. Oh…father's going to be furious with me!" She rushed past Link, then about-faced, rushing back up to him, gripping his hands in hers. "Promise me you'll come back tomorrow, okay? Promise!" She scowled, squeezing his hands.

Link erupted in blushes again, staring wide-eyed into her face. "Pr-Promise!"

She flashed him another smile, causing him to forget how to breathe, and ran off, her last words echoing throughout the courtyard: "Remember!"

Link sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. Then he smiled, his head high in the clouds. He got to his feet and started on his way out of the castle, humming a cheerful tune as he did.

His happiness didn't last long. When he arrived back to his home in Kokiri Forest, he realized he had lost more than his precious time. He had lost a precious companion.

"Navi…"

Link racked his mind, trying to figure out why she would leave. "Did I say something…Do something wrong…I don't understand…Why?" He stared at his hands, clenching them into fists. His first instinct was to see if she had returned to the forest, but to no avail. He sped through the small wood like a tornado in his search, much to the distress of his neighbors, leaving them wondering if his leave of the forest had disturbed his mind.

He sat at the base of the Great Deku Tree. Even cold and lifeless, it had brought him some comfort just to sit under his protective leafy canopy. "Why…" His eyes were devoid of tears, but empty of anything else. He didn't think he could take much more of these "surprises" this darkness-free world could throw at him.

"…_Hey…HEY!"_

He was so surprised at the sudden voice, Link fell off the root of the Great Deku Tree he was resting on. Landing safely on all fours, he shot up, looking around frantically. "…Navi?"

"_Hey! Oy! Over here!"_

He peaked over the massive root, becoming both disappointed and pleasantly surprised.

In the middle of the clearing, a small tree had sprouted. Smiling, Link bounded over the root, running up to the miniature tree. "Deku Sprout! Nice to see you aga—" Link caught himself, a little subdued. "I mean, nice to meet you…"

The sprout smiled, grinning. "Nice to see you again, Link! I trust the saving of all Hyrule went according to plan, then?"

Once again, Link was knocked off his feet in shock. He crawled up to the Deku Sprout, eyes full of hope. "Then…You mean, you remember? The whole thing with Ganondorf? Everything?!"

The Deku Sprout looked peeved. "Well of course I remember! The man did kill me, after all…"

Link sat in front of the Deku Sprout, feeling truly like a kid again. "But…how? I mean, everyone else forgot everything! Even…" He looked down at his hands, balling them into fist to prevent the flood of remorse from taking over his body again. He was over the tears. He had to look toward the future, or his past would mean nothing.

"Well," the Deku Sprout began, "We trees, plants, rocks, rivers…We aren't affected by time as you are. We see everything that comes to pass, past, present, and future." Link stared at the Deku Sprout, dumfounded.

The Deku Sprout chuckled. "Well, I didn't expect you to understand. Maybe one day you will…But that's another story. So, what has you all upset, now?"

Link sighed, leaning back to stare at the sky, now growing dark with the coming twilight. "Well, besides the fact that no one remembers anything…Navi disappeared. I don't know why, but she's gone!"

It was the Deku Sprout's turn to sigh. "Well, Link…You're aware now of your true heritage, right?" Link nodded hesitantly. He knew he was Hylian, but not much else. "Then, you can't expect Navi to stay with you forever! The fairies in these woods find a Kokiri to stay with for life. They are one. You, being Hylian, can't be connected to Navi like the other fairies with their Kokiri. Eventually, one of you would have to leave, be it by death or by other means."

Link remained silent, milling over what the Deku Sprout had said. He stood, turning away from the sprout. "So…That's it…"

The Deku Tree looked concerned. "Link…?"

"THAT'S IT?!" He kicked a nearby rock, sending it sailing into the air. Startled voices could be heard in the distance.

"That's the only reason she left? We couldn't be together forever? We weren't connected? That's utterly ridiculous!" He sank to the ground. "…Ridiculous…" He remained silent for a long moment, much to the Deku Sprout's concern.

"…Link? Are you okay—"­ Before the Deku Sprout could finish, Link stood up. He began to laugh, his face screwed in a mixture of desolation, and manic amusement. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, still smiling. "Navi…You never cease to amaze me…I'm going to have to give you a stern talking to next time I see you!"

Warily, the Deku Sprout spoke up again, afraid that the stress had finally caused Link to snap. "…Link? How can you talk to Navi? She's gone."

Link turned to the Deku Sprout, a genuine smile on his face. "How? I'm going to find her, that's how!"

"Find her?" The Deku Sprout was amazed, not only about Link's drastic change in attitude, but also of his outrageous idea. "How do you expect to find her? Hyrule's a big place; the world is a big place! She could be anywhere!"

Link began to walk away, heading back into the forest. "Well, you never know until you try!"

In his excitement, Link almost completely forgot his promise with Princess Zelda for the next time. He sat on his small bed with a sigh, setting his half-packed bag on the next to him. He desperately wanted to find Navi; every second he didn't start his hunt, she floated farther out of reach. But the thought of leaving Princess Zelda for who knows how long hit him like a ton of bricks to the stomach; he felt lightheaded just thinking about it. And yet…His body itched for adventure, yearned for something to do. He felt trapped when he wasn't free to roam; he didn't want to be chained down. He had to do something.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice drifting to his ears from outside. Standing, he walked out to his balcony, peering into the darkness below. He gasped, immediately jumping down to greet the figure.

"Saria! I'm so glad to see you!"

The girl giggled, giving Link a warm embrace. "Link! I heard you were back in the forest! Why haven't you visited me?" She looked around him curiously. "Where's Navi?"

Link looked down, gritting his teeth. He couldn't get used to the fact that she was gone. Every time he felt like he could accept it, someone burst his bubble again.

Noticing his distress, Saria grabbed his hand, dragging him toward her house. "Come on! I have something to show you!"

Link gasped, looking around in wonderment. Everyone in the village had crammed themselves in Saria's house, greeting him warmly:

"Welcome home, Link!"

Even Mido had come, if a bit grudgingly. He was sporting a nice purple bruise on he head. He walked up to Link, never looking exactly at him. "..Yeah…Welcome back…"

Link was ecstatic, feeling as if he finally belonged. He looked a Mido curiously, trying, and failing, to hid his amusement. "…Mido? What happened to your head?"

Mido rubbed his bruise, wincing. "A rock flew out of nowhere and beamed me right on the head!"

Link looked away, biting his lip. "Wow…That's strange…I wonder how that happened…"

Saria grabbed Link once more, leading him to a table full of food. "Well, come on! Let's celebrate! You must have some stories to tell!"

Link smiled, feeling so much happiness, he thought would burst. "Yeah…I've got a few." He decided he was fine with the way things were right know, pushing plans for the future to the back of his mind. _The future can wait…I need to enjoy the good times to the fullest!_

Another chapter, WOO! –dies of exhaustion-

Man...I stayed up till one writing this...I was doing all this Zelda related stuff, and though, "Why not work on my fanfiction?" So, I did! Woo! And it's actually kinda as long as I wanted it! Woo!

Link's being all emo crazy...But you would be emo crazy if you went through what he did too! I promise, he won't be so emo crazy soon...Hopefully. That is, if I get off my lazy butt and write it!

Yeah, I ramble! Anyways, if I get some positive reinforcement, I MIGHT get another chapter done...Maybe. I am a lazy ass...That's why I never proofread! WOO!


	3. Precious Memories

Princess Zelda of Hyrule woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, a hand to her hammering heart. Her nursemaid, Impa, seemingly separated from the shadows, gliding to her young charge's side. "Princess? What's wrong?" In a flood of emotion, Zelda lunged at Impa, clutching her nightshirt as she silently wept. Impa sat on the bed next to her, stroking the young Princess's blonde locks, murmuring to her soothingly. When Zelda calmed down, Impa asked, "Now, what is this all about? You haven't woke like this since you were a babe."

Wiping her eyes with a sleeve, the princess took in a calming breath. "I…dreamt terrible things. It…was so vivid…as if I were there, helpless as Hyrule was tainted with a evil power and fell into despair." She managed a weak smile. "But then…Someone clad in green came from nowhere, clearing the land of all traces of evil…Everything was so wonderful, Impa!" Her face fell. "And then…And then…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words. Tears flooded her eyes; she began to sob in Impa's protective embrace.

* * *

Link rose with the sun, a habit he had built up as he had traveled around Hyrule. He washed his face in a basin of water, starting at the image on the surface. Nervously, he fiddled with his hair, trying, and failing, to get it under control. Giving up, he took to pacing around his room, rehearsing things in his mind, mumbling incoherently to himself while wringing his hat in his hands.

Saria crawled up onto the landing of Link's house, moving the heavy cloth aside to enter. She giggled, holding a hand to her mouth at the sight inside. "Are you okay?"

Link jumped, falling over his own feet onto the floor, staring wide-eyed at Saria. He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he never even heard her entrance. "S–Saria! You caught me off guard!" He stood, dusting of his bottom as Saria burst into more giggles.

"Sorry, Link." She sat down at the small table, intelligent blue eyes observant as he continued his restless pacing. Her eyes fell upon his pack, tucked clumsily under his bed. "Are you going somewhere?"

That stopped Link in his tracks. He sat down on the bed, sighing. "I can never hid anything from you can I, Saria?"

The girl smiled. "And you will never be able to. I can tell you're upset about something." She moved from the chair to his bed, resting a comforting hand on his knees. "What's the matter?"

He smiled, even though his eyes told a different story. "I…I can't stay here." His voice was scarcely a whisper. It grew in intensity as he continued. "But I can't leave…I don't want to leave! But there's no way I can stay!" It wasn't only the forest he spoke of. The rest of the Kokiri would find out his true heritage soon enough. He couldn't stay in Hyrule. Something was pulling him, calling him out of Hyrule. Part of him truly wanted to leave, leave for good. He couldn't face all the people he befriended on his journey through time, seeing their blank stares when they remembered nothing of him. It would be better if he just disappeared from Hyrule, no matter how much it pained him to leave the friends he did have.

Saria watched him closely, face thoughtful. She stood, looking out the small window by Link's bed. Finally, she spoke. "You've changed, Link."

Link looked up at her, confusion in his eyes. "Changed?"

Her back remained to him. "Ever since you returned to the forest, you've been…different." She looked over her shoulder at him, a smile lighting her face. "You've really grown, you know? You've only been gone a month or two, but something you've seen on the outside really changed you. I'm really proud of you, Link!" She grabbed his hands in hers. "I know there's something you need to do. And I know you can't stay in the forest forever. But I want you to know…No matter where you go, or what you do, I'll always be there for you." Her smiled brightened. "Because you are my very precious friend." She headed for the door, moving aside the curtain. She took a final glance back at him. "Just remember that on your journeys, and promise to visit me again someday." With that, she left.

Link only watched as she left, dumbstruck. Slowly, his expression softened, sapphire eyes over bright with unshod tears. He chuckled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He really couldn't hide anything from Saria…Even the things he didn't know himself.

* * *

Link left the forest without a word not shortly after his talk with Saria, a pack full of all his valuable possessions slung over his shoulder. He didn't plan on going back to the forest…at least, not for a longwhile. He walked along the beaten path toward Hyrule Castle Town, enjoying his burst in spirits. The beauty and liveliness of the field shocked Link at first; he had grown accustomed to the darkness coating the land. For now, he soaked it all in, relishing the warm rays of the sun on his skin, taking in the vibrant colors of the foliage around him. Despite his peacefulness, something in the back of his mind unconsciously hurried him along, eager to see Zelda's smiling face again.

When he finally arrived at the courtyard deep in the castle, he didn't find what he expected. He couldn't bring himself to walk straight through the gates; After yesterday, he didn't expect he would be warmly welcomed. So, he had snuck past the guards with finesse, making it to Zelda's courtyard easily. She was standing in her usual spot, looking through the glass into the castle. She was dressed much more simply today, wearing a light blue dress with a darker bodice, her hair falling free over her shoulders. He could immediately tell something was wrong; her whole body was tense. He approached her slowly, tapping her on the shoulder. "Princess?"

Princess Zelda jumped with a shriek, startling Link. He stumbled backwards, almost tumbling down the stairs. The young princess looked at him, a tinge of pink creeping into her cheeks. "Oh, I apologize. You just…startled me." She looked at her feet, her face lined with worry.

Link looked up at her, a bit confused. _She startled me! _Something bothered him; Zelda was never this formal to him. She wouldn't even meet his eyes. It was usually the other way around!

Working up his courage(a sad thing for the holder of the Triforce of Courage to be doing), he asked, "Is…something the matter, Princess?"

She turned to him, looking at anything besides his face. "What? Oh, nothing is the matter! I'm simply superb!" Her face shone with happiness, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings.

Link was thoroughly unconvinced. He tried and tried again to get her to tell him what was bothering her, but she avoided his questions with the proficiency he had used to avoid the guards, quickly changing the subject to him, his life, what he had been doing, how he gotten so good at fighting. Link, frustrated, finally stopped pestering her, going off to watch the flowers.

Not knowing what was bothering the princess was bothering him. Every time he saw the look of distress on her face, it ripped him apart inside. He was at the end of his rope trying to cheer her up. Almost subconsciously, he brought the small ocarina Saria had given him to his lips. He had always played the instrument when he was upset or homesick. The clear notes wafted through the air, crafting a soothing melody the young princess knew too well.

She could feel her body relaxing almost instantly, her mind filled with pleasant dreams.

The melody had served as a lullaby for her since she was little, and it had always succeeded in calming her down. She drifted over to sit by Link, closing her eyes as she soaked in the tune. When it was finished, she let out a sigh, opening her eyes to stare at the azure sky.

Link noticed the pleased look on the girl's face, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He let the peaceful silence reign, gazing up at the sky with the princess.

After a while, Princess Zelda broke the silence. She looked a Link, face curious. "How did you know my favorite lullaby?"

Link froze; he hadn't realized he had played what he shouldn't had known. He stammered for what seemed like an eternity, coming up with only, "I–I heard it somewhere!"

It was a blatant lie, and they both knew it. Luckily for Link, the princess didn't question it.

They spent the rest of the day chatting up a storm, talking about everything from castle life, to the monsters Link had fought, to the things they had for breakfast. The day slowly turned to night, twilight creeping up on the two.

The princess sighed, looking up at the darkening sky. "I guess we lost track of time."

Link nodded, getting to his feet. He didn't want to leave, especially since they were having such a good time.

Once again, Princess Zelda caused his heart to stop, coming inches from his face. "Will you come again tomorrow? Please?"

Link nodded rapidly; how could he refuse? She beamed at him, making Link's face red all the way to the tips of his long ears.

"Good! I'll be waiting!" She hurried out of the courtyard, Link following at a much more subdued pace. A shadow detached from the wall; Impa's face was pensive as she watched him disappear from sight, skillfully avoiding the guards notice.

* * *

He rented a room at the inn in the town, ignoring the strange stares he received from being such a young patron. The plump woman had asked him over and over again where his parents were, and why would they let such a young child roam by himself. Being young had its drawbacks. He lay sprawled on the bed that was much to big for him, looking up at the dark ceiling, a smile still on his face. His journey was all but forgotten, the image of Princess Zelda shadowing all other thoughts. He picked up the ocarina, playing Zelda's favorite melody. The same melody that lulled the young princess to sleep worked its magic on the young hero; he fell sound asleep before the song was even finished.

* * *

**Cheetah here! After battling with the dreaded writers block, I finally managed to throw together this chapter! Man…This story is just running away from me! I never planned half of this…Well, I didn't really plan most of the story, but whatever. I actually have a plan for the next three chapters, so they might come out faster…But knowing me, don't count on it. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They're really the only thing that keeps me going.**


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